


sugar, we're going down

by hamnet



Category: Persona 5
Genre: ANYWAY GOOD TIME TRAIN GUYS!!! GOOD TIME TRAIN, Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Friends to Lovers, Gen, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pillow & Blanket Forts, Slow Burn, WHERE THE WORST THING THAT CAN HAPPEN IS EVERYONE GETTING TIRED OF SHUAKE'S FLIRTING
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-06
Updated: 2017-09-21
Packaged: 2018-12-11 23:45:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11725080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hamnet/pseuds/hamnet
Summary: Goro gives him an unimpressed stare. "IknewMom and Hana-chan will never forgive us for the dumpster.""Yeah." At least Akira has the decency to look sheepish. "I think that one greatly influenced where we're staying. Sorry."It's not as if he can get annoyed at Akira for something he himself had a hand with, though. While Akira was the one who came up with the idea, Goro, the one who's supposed to be eighty percent of Akira's impulse control, gamely went along with said idea. It was a fiery destruction; both of them got grounded for a month.That was three months ago.--Or: there was never a suicide, there was never a god, and Akechi Goro and Kurusu Akira grew up inseparable.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> (SOMETHING'S WRONG WITH AO3. SORRY FOR THE TWO PEOPLE WHO OPENED THE FIRST VERSION OF THIS ONLY TO FIND THE CHAPTER IS CUT IN HALF. I REPOSTED AS SOON AS I REALISED EDITING AIN'T GONNA WORK. GOMENASORRY.)
> 
> yeah okay so i had to choose among three aus i came up with. two of them are fucking sad, and this one is a good time, so, like, the choice is obvious here, folks.
> 
> basically, akeshu childhood friends au where:  
> \- goro's mom never committed suicide  
> \- in fact, after being turned away by her family, the kurusus (specifically, akira's mom, who is besties with goro's mom), extended their help to goro's mom and helped her back to her feet  
> \- goro and akira are inseparable because of this  
> \- shido? who the fuck is that  
> \- yaldabaoth? Who
> 
> no betas we die like mne

The train station is packed.

It's bustling with people, too many people, despite the fact that it's the countryside. Perhaps that's the reason; the station isn't very big, and with the holidays already over, everyone's well on their way back to reality---vacation is over. The same holds true for Goro, except he's about to step into the new stage of his life, lonely and far from the life he'd grown up to in this humble countryside.

...Who is he kidding. Considering his mother is fussing over him, five minutes before his train arrives, Goro has a good feeling that he'll be far from lonely in Tokyo.

Not to mention he's not going to be living in Tokyo alone. He'll be fine, he thinks.

Goro's mother is clutching his backpack so tightly, her knuckles are white. She doesn't look like she wants to let the bag go. "Do you have everything you need?" she says. "Vitamins? Your toothbrush?" Then she gasps, her eyes comically widening at him. "Sunscreen?! I heard Tokyo's sun is unforgiving to people who burns easily."

Goro burns easily, that's true, but he doesn't know where she got the whole idea from.

"I...think you meant the pollution," he quietly offers. It doesn't have anything to do with sunburns. "The pollution is unforgiving in Tokyo." He hooks a finger around one of the zippers of his backpack and tugs, to see if she'll let go of his bag. She doesn't, and he sighs. "Mom, I need that bag if I'm going to leave for Tokyo."

She looks at the bag she's clutching. "I just...," she starts, and her lips curl downwards, her brows furrowed. Whenever she makes that face, the wrinkles on her forehead and around her lips become more prominent. She looks older than she really is, but maybe that's what being a single mother does to a woman.

Still, when she smiles, she looks brighter, as warm as the summer she's named after. Goro always does everything he can just for that smile.

"Mom...," he says, and he smiles, just slightly, fingers reaching out to tuck a stray strand of chestnut hair behind her ear. Her long hair's in a messy bun, several rogue strands of hair framing her face. When Goro was younger, braiding her hair always delighted him. "I'll be fine," he assures her. "I'm not alone there. You know that."

"I know," she says, and her voice quivers. Her brownish-red eyes shine from unshed tears. "I just...can't believe you're in high school now, and you're going to be so far away. Why can't you just attend the high school here?"

"Well...," Goro says, "I guess I'm just way too good for a school in the countryside. I'll feel bad for my classmates when I'm doing far too well for them to catch up."

And there it is---that smile he loves so much. Pearly white teeth, and a dimple just below her left cheek. She's radiant like this, and looks more like her age. It makes his own smile widen, too.

"Look at you," his mother says, all cheek and smile, and she wipes her eyes, "all smug. I'm so proud." Goro laughs, and she does, too. The announcer's voice rings throughout the station, announcing the train's arrival soon, and she finally hands him his backpack. She reaches out and fixes Goro's fringe for him. "Take care, okay?" she says, and her smile is soft; unlike before, there's no hint of melancholy in her expression. Maybe Goro should be saddened at the fact she's not at all lonely to see him go, but he knows that look, and it fills his chest with warmth.

"You will be amazing," she says, unmistakable pride evident in her features and in her every word. She levels him with a fiery look. "They will be grateful they accepted you."

Then with a quiet laugh, she pulls Goro in for a hug, the last one that there will be for several months, and her arms are wrapped around him tightly. She smells of lavender and melon, and it reminds him of their backyard.

He'll miss her.

They part when the train finally arrives, and Goro slings his backpack over his shoulder before picking up his suitcase. He gives his mother one last smile and a wave before he boards the train, but then she stops him, fingers curled around his wrist. She smiles at him sheepishly when he looks at her.

"When you get to the apartment, tell Akira I said hi," she says, "and that Hana says she knows he stole all the chocolates before leaving."

Goro laughs at that.

\--

Tokyo is...overwhelming, and Goro manages to get lost in the _train station._

He admits his sense of direction is a hit or miss at worst, but he’s never _this_ bad. Asking for directions is fruitless, and he always finds himself being pushed around by the people bustling around. There isn't even another glance every time someone manages to bump against him. Goro likes to think he's a patient person, but he's learning very fast that isn't the case at all.

Before Goro manages to let the last person who bumped into him know just how wrong it is to do just that, he feels something vibrating in his backpack. Quickly finding a secluded corner in the labyrinthine station, Goro opens his pack and rummages through the items there until he fishes out his phone that keeps vibrating along with a stream of messages.

Oh, right. He has a phone.

Right.

♡★ Aki-chan ★♡ | 13:46 :: goro

♡★ Aki-chan ★♡ | 13:47 :: where are you? you're not in the entrance

♡★ Aki-chan ★♡ | 13:47 :: it's way past our meeting time

♡★ Aki-chan ★♡ | 13:47 :: we talked about this last night

♡★ Aki-chan ★♡ | 13:47 :: you know you're leaving today right?

♡★ Aki-chan ★♡ | 13:47 :: you forgot didn't you

You | 13:48 :: No. If there's anyone who forgets about important trips, it's you.

♡★ Aki-chan ★♡ | 13:48 :: that one was because mom didn't wake me up

You | 13:48 :: I don't see why it falls on Hana-chan's shoulders to wake you up for your own interschool competition.

♡★ Aki-chan ★♡ | 13:48 :: it's math. i hate math

♡★ Aki-chan ★♡ | 13:48 :: mom also hates math. i don't know why i got into the qualifiers when it should be you

You | 13:48 :: You copied off me and somehow got a higher score than I did.

You | 13:49 :: I'm still mad about that, by the way.

♡★ Aki-chan ★♡ | 13:49 :: i know

You | 13:49 :: When did you change your name in my contacts list?

♡★ Aki-chan ★♡ | 13:49 :: two weeks ago. before i left

♡★ Aki-chan ★♡ | 13:50 :: and you didn't even realise until now? i'm impressed

♡★ Aki-chan ★♡ | 13:50 :: then again you barely remember you have a phone

♡★ Aki-chan ★♡ | 13:50 :: so where are you?

Goro blinks, and he looks up from his phone to look around. People, people, people. A stairway leading down. Food shops selling food he's never heard of. More people. It's a fruitless effort, to put it simply.

You | 13:51 :: I don't know. I'm lost.

♡★ Aki-chan ★♡ | 13:52 :: hahahaha

♡★ Aki-chan ★♡ | 13:52 :: hold on

Before Goro can type out a reply, his phone vibrates again, but this time it's not because of a new stream of messages. ♡★ _Aki-chan_  ★♡ flashes in the screen as the caller ID, and the phone's ringtone, whatever it is, mixes into the noise pollution. He answers the call and presses his phone against his ear.

“ _Hey._ ”

"Hello."

“ _Miss me?”_ Goro huffs at that, and Akira chuckles on the other end. “ _Okay, okay. Describe the place where you are, and I'll probably find you_.”

Goro frowns at that. "Probably? That's not reassuring, Akira."

He could practically hear Akira shrug at that. “ _I've only been here for two weeks, and I spent most of the time in the apartment cleaning it so His Highness can come home to a pristine apartment_.” Goro rolls his eyes, but Akira continues talking. It isn't as if he can see Goro making faces at what he says, anyway. “ _But seriously, I've been pretty busy with Shujin. I'm sure you'll be too with Kousei_.”

"I figured. I still need to get my uniform, too..."

“ _Yeah, so describe the area you're in so we can get you home_.”

So Goro does. He describes the food shops in the area---from the crepe shop to his right to the takoyaki shop just across him. He mentions the stairway he came from, and Akira admits he's not sure where the hell Goro wandered into.

“ _Maybe you crossed to a different dimension,”_ Akira says, “ _and I'll never find you, anymore. Find any bones jutting out from the corners?”_

Goro pinched the bridge of his nose with a sigh. "Kurusu, I'm tired from travelling."

“ _Sorry. Anything else to note of?”_

Goro looks around once more, and when the crowd parts not too far from the takoyaki shop, Goro finds that there's some sort of a bridge connecting this part of the station to another building. He blinks.

"Ah, there's a bridge...thing...here, connecting the area where I am to another building. I think it's a mall..."

“ _Oh_ ,” Akira says, “ _the accessway. I know where that is. Stay where you are. I'm coming_.”

The calls ends there, and Goro locks his phone before sliding it into his pocket. His other hand grips his suitcase as he leans against the wall with a sigh. Well, this is tiring. Goro is positive he won't be able to unpack anything once he finally arrives at their apartment, and that's fine, now that he thinks about it. There's a week left before the start of the school year, and it's a week he's dreading. School orientations and socializations with schoolmates---the kind of stuff that drains him twice as fast as studying. He'll need all the sleep he can get.

He doesn't know how long he's been waiting, but when his phone rings again, he immediately answers, pushing himself off the wall as his eyes roam around the area and searching for the familiar messy mop of black hair.

"I'm by the vending machine," Goro says as he takes a step forward, eyes peeled for Akira. "Right in front of the takoyaki shop."

“ _Oh, yeah, I see you. To your left_.”

Goro looks to his left, and sure enough, in the sea of people is a head sporting the messiest curls Goro's known his whole life. Akira weaves through the crowd with cat-like ease, as if he's already used to urban traffic, and Goro blinks at what he wears: white turtleneck and black blazer, complete with checkered pants and black shoes.

It's a pretty stylish school uniform.

As soon as Akira is within hearing range, he beams at Goro, none of that monotone, know-it-all schtick he always pulls off.

"Hey," Akira says, stopping right in front of him. Goro's phone echoes his greeting. He has a bag slung over his shoulder, and he ends their call and shoves his phone into his pocket. Goro does the same. "Overwhelming, huh?"

Goro heaves a deep sigh. "Is this what we have to deal with everyday from now on?"

"Unfortunately." He reaches for Goro's suitcase. "Let me carry it for you."

"Such a gentleman. I'm swooned," Goro says, and Akira snorts and waggles his eyebrows for added effect. He laughs. "So why are you in uniform?"

"Gotta run to Shujin for something." Akira shrugs, and they both walk to the direction he came from. "Uh, something about having to switch classes. I really don't know. I just kept saying 'okay.'" He puts his free hand behind his neck with a sigh. "I'm beat."

"I'd say the same," Goro agrees, and he lightly shoves Akira ahead. "Come on, lead the way, Mr. Gentleman."

Akira snorts at that, and he gestures at Goro to follow him. The pair disappears into the crowd, mingling with the people until they take the train that will take them to their new home.

\--

"This isn't an apartment," Goro says. They stand in front of a small café tucked away from public view, in a small side street called _Yongen-jaya_. The sign above the entrance reads Leblanc, and the sign hanging on the door tells Goro that the café is closed. Akira shrugs.

"I know," he says. "I was expecting an apartment, too, but, uh, Mom says the rent is cheap and her friend's friends with the owner, and he'll be our guardian for the rest of high school."

Goro gives him an unimpressed stare. "I _knew_ Mom and Hana-chan will never forgive us for the dumpster."

"Yeah." At least Akira has the decency to look sheepish. "I think that one greatly influenced where we're staying. Sorry."

It's not as if he can get annoyed at Akira for something he himself had a hand with, though. While Akira was the one who came up with the idea, Goro, the one who's supposed to be _eighty percent_ of Akira's impulse control, gamely went along with said idea. It was a fiery destruction; both of them got grounded for a month.

That was three months ago.

"I'd say I forgive you if it weren't for the fact I was the one who threw the match," Goro says with a smile. At that, Akira breathes out a laugh as he makes his way to the locked door, fishing out from his pocket a key with a keychain the shape of a cup with cartoon smoke flowing out of it.

"What was it that you said when you flicked the match to the dumpster?" Akira asks. " _This is our will of rebellion_. Very dramatic. Which video game was it from this time?"

The door clicks open, and the pair is laughing when they stumble into the café, Goro playfully slapping Akira's shoulder. "Shut up; you said it was _cool_."

"People change after getting grounded for a month." Akira checks to see if the sign remains on the _closed_ side, and when he's satisfied with what he sees, he closes the door and locks it. He turns to Goro, expression grave. "I had a lot of self-reflection during that time Mom took my phone."

Goro rolls his eyes at him, but he's smiling, and maybe this is the time where he should reach out and tug at Akira's messy fringe to tease him, but he has luggage to heave and luggage to unpack. "Whatever. So where to?"

"Upstairs," Akira says. "The whole second floor's ours."

"Really?" As they make their way to the stairs, Goro looks around, and he visibly deflates. The café is small. There are only four booths, the only walkway is the one they're walking in now, and when Goro peeks in the bathroom, he realises it's not a bathroom at all; it's merely a comfort room. If the first floor is this small, Goro can only imagine how the second floor is.

"Please tell me we have a bathroom upstairs."

Akira stops on the first step of the stairs. "Uh, yeah, no."

"Seriously?"

"There's a bathhouse across the street," he immediately adds. "Come on. I worked hard making our place liveable, you know."

"Lovely," Goro mumbles as Akira lugs his suitcase upstairs.

When Goro reaches the end of the stairs, Akira has already parked his suitcase beside Akira's own. Goro stands on the last step of the stairs, blinking at their room.

It's...oddly remarkable, to say the least. For one, there's no door; the shelf on Goro's left is the closest to a door they'll get here. The second topmost shelf holds some of Akira's own personal effects: a few mangas, a box that Goro knows contains a couple facial products for if Akira has a breakout (he _never_ has those, much to Goro's chagrin; if anyone, Goro is the one who ends up using every single thing in that box), a small plastic plant that Akira still waters everyday (no one told him it's not alive), and...that's all. The lowermost shelf has a big box shoved in it, and a quick peek tells Goro it contains some of Akira's clothes.

A long table is parked to his right, against the railings where the stairs line downwards. Akira's school bag is messily dropped there. There's an empty shelf against the wall to Goro's right as well, where their suitcases are parked in front of, and on the far end of the room are two beds.

Each bed is placed on the opposite sides of the room. Akira is sitting on the right-sided bed, wrestling his school shoes off his feet. There's a desk between the beds that is blocking the window. The right side of the desk has books neatly stacked and a pencil holder that's empty---Akira's side of the desk---while the left side is left untouched. The left-sided bed is clean and has a pair of pillows and a blanket neatly placed on the edge of the bed, and right below the bed is a table with an old, crusty TV on top of it.

All sides of the room is crammed, but the middle of the room has a lot of space. It makes a good spot for blanket forts.

Huh. Now that's an idea. He looks at Akira, who raises his brows at him expectantly.

"Well?" Akira starts, smug grin on his face. "I did the interior all on my own. Pretty nice, yeah?"

Goro puts his backpack on the long table, besides Akira's school bag. "It's passable," he says, and when Akira makes a face at him, he adds with a smile, "the open space makes a great spot for blanket forts."

Akira stares at him, then he laughs. "You _know_ what I _like_ ," he says. He hops off his bed, bare feet making noises against the wooden floor, and he starts tugging the sheets off his bed. Goro blinks.

"Wait, right now?"

"It's our first day of independence," Akira says. "Blanket forts are in order." Goro stares blankly at him.

"You've been here for two weeks."

"Right, because Boss breathing down on my neck to make sure I have everything in this place sorted out before you come here is independence."

"Boss?"

"He's the owner. Lives just down the street." Akira dumps everything from his bed---the bed sheet, the blanket, and the pillows---to the floor. He looks at Goro. "If it makes you happy, this is our first day of independence _together_." He gestures at Goro's bed. "Are you gonna wreck your bed yourself or am I gonna do it?"

Goro huffs, but there's a smile on his face as he makes his way to his bed. "You know we don't have enough blankets for this, right?" he says as he dumps the blanket and pillows to the floor. He starts tugging on the bed sheet. Akira shrugs.

"We can always borrow some more from Boss if we really need it that badly." He pauses. "Can't we just make a small fort instead?"

"You're the captain," Goro says simply, bundling the bed sheet in his arms. "Do what you want while I sit here and watch you work on your own."

"Rude."

In the end, Goro helps out with assembling their blanket fort. Because Akira likes to get yelled at by adults, he suggests bringing some chairs from the café downstairs, which Goro immediately shoots down. They make do with limiting the size of their blanket fort to only cover the space between their beds, and they tie one blanket and a bed sheet on the desk and on their beds, while everything else is shoved inside.

It's a very small and very disappointing blanket fort.

"It's hot," Goro says, voice muffled by Akira's pillow, while Akira uses him as his pillow instead. It's already evening, and instead of getting dinner, the two decided to crawl into their sad blanket fort and spend the rest of the evening there. Akira looks up at Goro from his phone, and his hair tickles Goro's exposed stomach. His constant moving a while ago lifted Goro's shirt a little.

"Take off your shirt, then."

"No."

Akira looks back at his phone. He's playing that hard but pretty rhythm game. "Too bad."

Goro shoves Akira's pillow off his face and looks down at Akira, who's completely comfortable in his position. Peeking at Akira's phone screen tells Goro that he's completely fucking up his combo, but he keeps playing anyway.

"Mom says hi," Goro says.

"Tell her I said hi, too," is Akira's reply, failing to hit a fair amount of notes in the game. The screen is full of them; Goro is pretty sure thumbs aren't enough for those. "And that I'll miss her burgers," Akira adds.

"She also says Hana-chan knows you took all the chocolates."

Akira stops at that, and the screen is now an endless stream of _miss miss miss_. "Oh, shit."

Goro snorts, and he pats Akira's head. "You're in trouble."

Akira swats his hand away. "We're six hours away from them, and that's why I took them in the first place!"

"Three if they take the train. But who cares; are you going to share them with me?"

Akira lets go his phone, and he rolls off Goro to lay on his stomach.

"Obviously," he says, smirking at Goro. "Time for dinner."

He crawls out of their blanket fort, and when he comes crawling back in with a big jar filled with chocolate, he shakes the jar at Goro with a mischievous grin.

"Jar one out of three."

\--

You | 23:17 :: Hi, mom. I arrived here quarter to 2pm.

You | 23:18 :: I'm sorry I didn't text you immediately. Akira had a lot of things he wanted to do.

Akechi Natsumi | 23:22 :: Thats ok dear. Im glad you arrived safe. Im sure akira kept you busy. You had dinner already?

You | 23:22 :: Yeah. Akira's treat.

You | 23:23 :: He also says hi back, and that he'll miss your burgers.

Akechi Natsumi | 23:24 :: :D ill miss him too!

Akechi Natsumi | 23:26 :: Did you tell him about the chocolates?

You | 23:26 :: Yes.

Akechi Natsumi | 23:27 :: Did he share?

You | 23:28 :: He can't say no to me.

Akechi Natsumi | 23:29 :: XD

Akechi Natsumi | 23:33 :: Well thats all hana wants to know. As long as hes not keeping it to himself, shes not mad.

You | 23:33 :: He firmly believes he's in trouble.

You | 23:33 :: I won't tell him.

Akechi Natsumi | 23:38 :: Just dont let it go too far. And you should go to sleep. Arent you going to Kousei tomorrow?

You | 23:38 :: Oh, I am...

You | 23:39 :: Good night, mom.

Akechi Natsumi | 23:40 :: Gnight goro.

Akechi Natsumi | 23:41 :: I love you.

Akechi Natsumi | 23:42 :: Take care always.

Akechi Natsumi | 23:43 :: Ill miss you!!

You | 23:44 :: I’ll miss you too, mom.

You | 23:44 :: Love you too.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this went out of hand lol take it i guess.
> 
> shout out to [Katraa](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Katraa/pseuds/Katraa) for being my beta bitch i love you and i owe you my life.
> 
> if you enjoy my stuff please feel free to pester me on twitter (@clearestrod) and watch me plummet into despair 24 hours 7 days a week because of goro akechi. there are a few links there too which you might...find.......interesting (BUY ME COFFEE)

Goro wakes up covered in sweat, and it's disgusting.

He can't feel his left arm, too, and when he turns his head to the side, he squints at the back of Akira's head as he lays unmoving on top of Goro's arm. He tries to wiggle his arm free, and, thankfully, Akira simply groans and shifts to the closest pillow, letting Goro's arm free before staying still again.

Goro wipes the back of his hand against his forehead. Sweat. _Ugh._

He quickly crawls out of their blanket fort and scrambles to his feet. Above the empty shelf is a clock, and it reads 7:30. His acceptance letter said he has to be in Kosei at ten. Okay, he has two and a half hours to get there. Thirty minutes in the bath, and another thirty minutes dressing up. He has to leave at 8:30, because he still has to figure out the trains. What if he gets lost and is absolutely late? That won't do well for a first impression. He can ask Akira to accompany him; he's sure Akira won't mind, but---

Goro blinks, forces his mind to skid to a stop. Looking at the clock once again, he finds that he just wasted five minutes thinking of the absolute worst, and he wrinkles his nose in disapproval before heading to his suitcase and unzipping it.

A few more minutes pass, and then he has a transparent bag filled with toiletries. After taking his only bath towel in stock and a change of clothes, Goro grabs Akira's key to Leblanc that's lying haphazardly on the long table before heading downstairs to leave for the bathhouse. He has no idea where it is, but he thinks he'll find it just fine---maybe. His footsteps are heavy against the creaking wood, and when he reaches the ground floor, he stops, blinking at the man standing behind a counter, unlit cigarette in his mouth as his hands deftly move to prepare the coffee machine at the end of the counter.

He realises the man is looking at his direction. Goro jumps.

"I---uh..." Goro's smile is uncertain. He's still wearing his clothes from yesterday, so no pyjamas; does he look like a robber that's trying to get away with bathroom essentials? "Good morning."

The man takes the cigarette in one hand and raises a brow at Goro. "You...," he starts, squinting at Goro for a few seconds, and then, "ah, you're the other kid, aren't you? I was told you'll be arriving this week; didn't think you'd arrive exactly on Sunday, though."

Goro relaxes considerably at that, and he nods. His smile feels more natural this time. "Yes, I'm the...other kid," he replies. "Akechi Goro. It's a pleasure to meet you."

The man quirks up a smile at that. "Finally, someone polite around here," he says, "your friend, Kurusu?" Goro raises his brows. "Yeah, that one's a total smartass."

Goro chuckles as the man fishes out a box of cigarettes from his pocket and puts his unlit stick inside. "The name's Sakura Sojiro, but call me Boss. I run this café, and I guess I'll also be looking after you two from now on." He nods at Goro, still smiling. "Pleasure to meet you, too, kid."

Goro nods back, completely relieved he isn't mistaken for a robber, and then Sojiro eyes the items he's carrying. "The bathhouse is literally right in front of the café," he tells Goro, "just across the street. I'll make sure breakfast is ready when you come back."

Goro blinks. "Oh, uh, you really don't have to..."

"It's fine. It's part of the rent," Sojiro says, turning behind him and pulling out a jar of coffee beans from the shelf behind him. He pops the lid open and looks up at Goro. "You take coffee?" Goro nods. "Oh, good. I'll have some ready for you, too, then. Now get going."

Goro excuses himself and makes his way out of Leblanc, the bell hanging above the door chiming softly as he leaves. It's still a little cold, despite the fact that the sun is already shining high up in the sky, and Yongen-jaya is already awake and ready for the long day. From where he’s standing, Goro can hear the faint rumbling of the train and the steady murmur of the crowd that’s still far away from him.

It's so different from the countryside, but at the same time, it's not unwelcome. Yongen-jaya is far more peaceful than he thought it would be, but with this, he has no idea what to expect once he steps out of this street. The train station is merely a taste of what to expect. It makes Goro excited but nervous at the same time.

It might take some time to get used to, but Goro welcomes the change.

Sure enough, just across the street is a small alley that leads to a small door literally labelled _Bathhouse_. A vending machine stands beside the door, and when Goro enters the alley, he quickly finds there's a self-service laundry shop in there as well, the entrance just on his right. It's something to take note of, and he enters the bathhouse to finally clean himself up.

\--

When Goro comes back to Leblanc, in fresh, _I'm here to impress teachers_ clothes---namely, a long sleeved buttoned shirt under a blue, patterned cardigan and brown slacks---and rubbing his towel behind his ear, he's met with the smell of coffee and curry, and it's an absolute bliss. Akira sits in one of the chairs in front of the counter, practically inhaling his plate of curry, and when the door shuts closed and the bell chimes, Akira looks up. His eyes are sore from sleep and his hair, which, Goro realises, has gotten considerably long the past months, is in a state of complete mess, which says a lot. He looks like he literally rolled out of bed and to his seat. There's rice on the corner of his lips.

"G'morning," Akira says, and Goro watches the way he licks his lips to get rid of the offending rice from his face. He runs a hand down his face as he gets up. "Uh, I'll get you your plate."

As Akira wanders past the counter and into the kitchen like a lost ghost, Goro sits in the chair beside Akira's and puts down his toiletries on the chair next to him. He looks around once, then at the kitchen. From where he's sitting, he can't see Akira.

"Where's Boss?"

"Just left," Akira replies, and he leaves the kitchen with a plate of curry in hand and slides it in front of Goro. Akira puts a cup under the coffee machine and fills it up. "Said we finish breakfast first before he opens the café." He returns to his chair and puts the cup beside Goro's curry. Though Akira looks like he just woke up one minute ago, he still has the gall to wink at Goro. "Here you go, honey."

Goro rolls his eyes, but he takes it with a smile anyway. It's a first that curry is served to him alongside coffee, but it doesn't seem that bad. "Thank you, honey," he replies, bringing the cup to his lips. The aroma is strong, but not in a way that's offending, and it's delicious. He finds himself smiling against the cup. "What time is it?"

Akira blinks, and he looks around, looking for the clock, but he doesn't find it. "Around...8:35," he guesses.

Well, that's one way to get rid of the smile on his face. Goro immediately puts down the cup, and Akira blearily blinks at him as he stands up. "I have to go," Goro tells him.

"Uh?" Akira blinks again as Goro picks up his things and walks past him and up the stairs. "Wait, you haven't eaten yet!"

"I need to be at Kosei at _ten_ ," Goro calls back, and he dumps his things on the long table and frowns at the lack of mirrors in their room. He grabs his comb and heads downstairs and straight to the comfort room. He squints at himself in the mirror, realising his hair is still wet. Fuck.

"Ah!" Akira says outside. As Goro combs his hair into place, he hears loud, rattling sounds from the kitchen, and he frowns at himself in the mirror.

"Don't break anything," he calls out, but Akira doesn't reply and the sounds don't cease. He doesn't look at what Akira's doing when he leaves the comfort room, though, immediately heading back upstairs to unpack his messenger bag and shove inside everything he needs for his trip today: a pen and a notebook, his umbrella, identification, necessary documents, sunblock. Though he thinks his mother was freaking out over sunburns for no reason, he thinks he should bring the sunblock she packed anyway. Just in case.

"Hey, I'm going out already," Goro says as he hurries downstairs, walking past the kitchen and towards the door. He pats his pockets to make sure he didn't forget his phone. "Um, please don't leave your phone unattended, because I'm bound to call you sooner or later when I get lost."

"Okay, okay," Akira says, distracted and still in the kitchen, and Goro shrugs and opens the door to leave. The bell chimes, and Akira calls out to him. "Wait, hey---hold on!"

Goro turns around and blinks at Akira as he stumbles out of the kitchen and towards him, holding---oh.

He stops in front of Goro, and in his hand is a boxed lunch and a small thermos. "Here," Akira says, handing them over to him, "I packed your breakfast and coffee."

He takes the offered items, brows raised, and he opens his bag and carefully puts them inside. "This is...unexpected," Goro says as he zips his bag closed, "but thank you."

Akira snorts at that, and his smile is playful. "Of course," he says, walking out of Leblanc with Goro to see him off, "all to make sure my honey is well taken cared off." He fishes out a key from his pocket. It has a cartoon crow keychain attached to it. "This is _your_ key," Akira says, "now give me mine back, burglar."

This time it's Goro who snorts at him, and they swap keys before Goro leaves for the train station.

\--

Somehow, despite the fact that Goro was _this_ close to freaking out at a complete stranger yesterday, the thought of doing that now absolutely appals him, no matter how many times rude strangers bump into him. He keeps his head down and tries to weave through the crowd the same way Akira did yesterday. Keyword: _tries_. He's not that graceful, nor is he really that good at dealing with people to begin with. That's all Akira. Goro is much better at dealing with things that don't talk smack about him behind his back.

He stands in the middle of the maze of a station, his phone screen lighting up brightly in his hands. Right now, he's confusion incarnate. The directions to Kosei that his phone displays are direct: take the train to this, get off this stop, etcetera, and etcetera. It would be easy to follow if he knew where to find all these key locations. He'd ask the security guard near him for directions, but said guard is too busy answering questions for another lost soul, so he's not going to bother with that, anymore.

Well, there's a reason Akira is in his speed dial.

He's about to call Akira when he hears the guard utter _Kosei_ , and his head whips so fast to the guard's direction he gives himself vertigo. The guard is still speaking to the same person, who looks completely absorbed in his discussion with the guard. He's tall, with dark hair neatly styled and framing his pale face, and he wears a cream coloured blazer and black pants. It doesn't take Goro to realise he's about the same age as him. A student, then, and he doesn't realise he approached the pair until the young man turns to look at him, grey eyes blinking.

"Hello," he simply says, "are you here to inquire this man for directions?" And it's Goro's turn to blink.

"Oh," he dumbly says, and he immediately scrambles for something to say. "I---yes, I am," he replies. "I'd like to ask for directions to Kosei."

At this, the young man visibly brightens. "Ah, are you perhaps a new student in Kosei as well?" he asks, and when Goro nods, the young man turns to the guard. "Well, then," he says, gesturing at both Goro and himself, "the two of us are lost," he tells the guard.

Looking at the guard, Goro can tell he's not impressed by the young man's declaration. "I can tell," the guard flatly says. He turns to Goro. "Well, listen here. I'll repeat myself for the third time, okay?"

The guard quickly explains the way to Kosei, starting with where to find the train they need to board first. The guard sounds bored the whole time, but he's incredibly detailed, and Goro actually finds the guard helpful. Where was he when Goro got lost yesterday?

After the long winded explanation, the guard waves them away, but not without wishing them good luck, and despite the dismissive tone the guard has the entire conversation, Goro doesn't exactly think he's being rude.

"Hm," the young man says after a few minutes, and Goro realises he's been tailing Goro since he left the guard. "That was a rather fruitful discussion."

"You've been speaking with him long before I arrived," Goro points out, and the young man thoughtfully nods.

"Yes," he replies, and then he doesn't say anything else.

Okay.

They---well, Goro finds the train they have to take for their first stop, and the young man quietly follows after him into the train. It's close to full already, and Goro's shoulders slump as he takes a step backwards and towards the doors to lean on, but his back hits a firm chest; Goro completely forgot about the stranger following him. Goro looks back at him.

"Er," Goro starts, as the train finally departs, "sorry."

"That is fine," he says, then he looks up and sweeps his gaze across the crowd in the train. "This train car is rather full. I suppose the same goes with the others?"

Goro stares at him for a moment before realising he's actually trying to talk to him. He clears his throat, then he nods. "I believe so. The station is just as crowded, if not worse, after all."

"That is true." A moment of silence. "So you are a student in Kosei, as well." Goro nods. "Are you in the fine arts department?"

Goro blinks at that, then he breathes out a laugh, shaking his head. "No, not at all. I don't have the skill and money for that. I'm in the accountancy and business department." He tilts his head at the stranger. "Why, are you? In the fine arts department, I mean."

"Yes, I am," the stranger replies with a nod. "It's a shame that you're not. You look like someone with a keen eye for art."

Is that a compliment?

 _That_ is a _compliment_.

Goro stares at him with wide eyes, but he continues talking, not at all noticing Goro's awkward silence. "My name is Kitagawa Yusuke," he says, "I believe I'm in your debt for allowing me to join you on your way to Kosei."

Uh. He just kept following Goro around like a dog, actually. A really big and eager dog. Charmingly odd, too. "Kitagawa-kun," Goro slowly says, "I'm Akechi Goro. It's nice to meet you, but I don't think there's anything to thank me for when we're going to the same place to begin with."

Kitagawa hums thoughtfully at that. The train rattles. "Is that so?" he finally says after a moment. "Still, I feel obligated to repay you for your hospitality. Do you reside in the school dorms?" Goro shakes his head, but Kitagawa nods. "I see. Nevertheless, would you like to come to my dorm to have lunch with me?" Goro sputters at the invitation, but Kitagawa keeps talking. "I have a wealth of cup noodles and bean sprouts to share. Some more if my mother decides to bring another box later."

"...Um, that's very kind of you," Goro replies, and he's already thinking of a way to turn Kitagawa down when he realises: where is he even going to have lunch later? Now that he and Akira are attending different schools, there is just no way for Goro to be able to make friends. Honestly, how does Akira do it?

He sighs. "I...think I'll take you up on your offer."

Kitagawa smiles, apparently satisfied with his answer. "Wonderful," he says, and then the conductor's voice echoes in the train, announcing their stop. "Let's get off our stop and exchange details," Kitagawa says, his tone lighter than before, "then I shall tell you where to find my dorm, among other things."

\--

On their short trip to Kosei, Goro learns a lot of things about Yusuke.

He's not from the countryside like Goro is; in fact, he's from the outskirts of Tokyo, and he'd taken the entrance test in Kosei itself, unlike Goro who had taken the test in a certain school that Kosei assigned. It's his first time taking public transportation, so he was rather lost and asked for the guard's assistance when Goro came. His mother is a renowned painter whose works are known all over the world, and Yusuke aspires to be like her. Kitagawa Sayuri is her name, and Goro _does_ know her; the piece _Mother and Child_ is her most popular work.

When Goro points this out, Yusuke hums with approval. "Yes," he says, "it's a portrait of her and me when I was a baby."

Goro has to wonder what kind of god out there took pity on him to be befriended by _Kitagawa Sayuri's son_ , of all people.

There isn't much Goro has to tell Yusuke other than the most basics of basics: he's from the countryside, he's currently renting a place with his best friend in Yongen-jaya, and he's aiming to pursue business in college. He carefully leaves out the part about his family, and Yusuke takes everything he says with very little questions.

Another thing Goro finds out about Yusuke is that he talks a _lot_ , especially when they finally touch on art history as a topic. Goro admits he's not that well-versed in art, but history is fair game. Even then, Yusuke takes the lead, and Goro is more than happy to let him, which is why when they finally arrive at Kosei, Goro finds himself reluctant to part ways with Yusuke. Looking at him and his expression, Goro realises Yusuke feels the same, too.

"Hm," Yusuke says, "I have to admit, I am rather hesitant to go alone, now that I spent quite a pleasant time with you, but this is something that cannot be helped. I believe our school buildings aren't that far apart, fortunately."

That's true. According to their map, his building and Yusuke's are practically side by side, with one building in between them. Kosei is a really big and renowned private academy, and it specialises in training its students on a certain field they choose for themselves. It's almost like taking a major in college, but still more broad and not yet too focused on one specialisation. Goro counts himself lucky to have passed with a scholarship to count on; he can barely imagine how much the tuition fee is in this school.

"Well," Goro says, adjusting his bag's strap, "we'll still have lunch together in your dorm." He pauses, and he looks at Yusuke. "We will, right?"

Yusuke chuckles at that, and he nods. "Of course," he says. "We can still walk together, then it is goodbye until lunch."

Goro nods in reply, and they both make their way to their school buildings, only for Yusuke to part ways with Goro when they come across his building first. Then Goro is standing in front of his building.

It's sleek and stylish and absolutely modern; it's one of the newer buildings in the campus. Around him are fellow students entering the building, all either in pairs or in groups or in trios, and none of them are still in uniform, which means he didn't somehow miss the memo about picking up uniforms. Well, then, everything will be just fine. There's no need to feel lost. Yet.

Goro enters the building.

\--

It's past lunch, and despite what Goro said when Akira was too busy packing his curry, he hasn't called Akira. At all.

Okay, maybe Akira is freaking out for no reason. Despite what Goro thinks, he's not that bad with directions. Most likely, he found his way to Kosei no problem, and that's why he didn't call.

Or he got lost and found himself in a shady alleyway and got mugged and he doesn't have his phone or any means to get back home and he can't call Akira and he will be lost to history forever and Akira will be really, really, really sad.

Akira sighs and pops his second jar of chocolate open. He and Goro ate all the chocolate in the first one last night.

Considering all orientations and welcome to school activities in Shujin were already held last week, Akira has another week of freedom before school officially starts. He doesn't have anything to do, and that sucks, because it means he's going to eat all these chocolates until they're all gone. Goro will probably get mad. The smell of coffee permeates the air, even here in the attic, and he can hear the faint murmur of the T.V. downstairs. He takes out a bar from the jar and tears it open with his teeth.

He's three chocolate bars in when he hears the bell chiming downstairs, and then Sojiro is calling for him. His friends, Sojiro is saying. Two blonds.

Goddammit, Akira hasn't taken a bath yet.

Still, he heads downstairs despite the fact he's in sweatpants, but he sits halfway through the stairs and peeks at the two blonds sitting by the counter through the gaps of the railings. Ryuji sees him first, straightening himself and grinning at him, then Ann looks at him, too. He motions at them to go upstairs with him, and the two abandon their seats in favour of going after Akira.

"Sup, dude!" Ryuji says, hands shoved in his pockets as he and Ann step into the attic. "Damn, there's nothin' to do at home after all that fun last week." He pauses, then he frowns. "Shit, that's the only time school is fun, don't ya think? Next week, we'll be in living hell."

Ann rolls her eyes at him, and she opens her mouth to speak, to drag Ryuji, definitely, but she stops, eyeing the blanket fort Akira and Goro made last night. Well, the remains of it, anyway. S.S. Hotstuff had fallen when Akira woke up this morning.

"Is that a blanket fort?" she asks, and Ryuji blinks at S.S. Hotstuff's remains. "I mean, _was_ , I guess," Ann continues. "It's a sad pile of sheets and pillows."

Akira shrugs, and he flops down into the sad pile of sheets and pillows and fishes out a chocolate bar from his jar. "Chocolate?"

" _Yes_ , thank you."

"Ryuji?"

"Yeah, dude. Thanks."

They both join Akira in his sad pile.

"So, what's this?" Ann asks in between bites, and she pats a hand in the empty space between her and Ryuji. "Blanket fort by yourself?"

"Pretty sad if you ask me," Ryuji says, and Akira rolls his eyes and swats at Ryuji. He yelps and cradles his chocolate far away from Akira. " _Dude_."

"It's not sad," Akira says as he peels open another bar. Fourth one. "I made it with a friend. And then we slept inside it then ate a lot of chocolates." He waves his chocolate around. "It was fun."

Ann blinks at that. "Really?" Then she looks around, and only then does she notice the extra stuff in the attic, like the second suitcase, and the backpack on the long table, and the towel and bag of toiletries left there, too. She raises her eyebrows. "Oh!" she says. "He's here!"

"Who's here?" Ryuji says through a mouthful of chocolate. He glances around, too, and he notices the same thing as she did. "Oh..." He wrinkles his nose, trying to remember Goro's name. "Something What's-his-face is here?"

Akira snorts. "It's Akechi Goro."

"Right. Akechi Goro." Ryuji nods to himself, and Ann scoffs at him.

"He completely forgot about Akechi-kun," she says, and she widens her eyes at Akira as if to say, _can you believe this guy?_ "So? Where is he?"

Akira takes a bite from his chocolate. "He's in Kosei right now. I'm not sure when he'll be back. It's only two."

Ann nods at that, and then she sizes Akira up and down and wrinkles her nose. Akira immediately curls in on himself.

"Don't you know better than to look at ladies like that?" Akira defensively says.

"Ugh, shut up," Ann replies. "Have you even taken a bath?"

"No."

"Dude, _gross_." Ryuji scrambles off the sad pile, and so does Ann. "Take baths, man. They're still totally in."

"Maybe text first before coming next time and I'll consider it."

Ryuji grabs a stray pillow from the sad pile---it's Goro's---and he throws it at Akira.

The rest of the afternoon is spent the way teenagers spend a free afternoon: doing absolutely nothing. While there's already a T.V. in the attic, there's no console to play games on, and Ryuji groans about buying a couple cartridges for Akira from a second hand store.

"Maybe buy a console first," Ann says with a roll of her eyes.

"Ain't my fault Akira doesn't have the money for one," Ryuji retorts, and Akira lightly kicks him.

"Then give me _money_ ," he tells Ryuji.

By 4:30, Akira's phone rings. ♡★ _Go-chan_ ★♡ is displayed as caller ID, and he shushes both Ryuji and Ann as he scrambles to answer the call.

"Hey."

" _Hello,_ " Goro greets on the other end. There's the muted sound of white noise in the background. He sounds off. " _I am on my way home, but it seems there's an incident with one of the trains. I will be home late_."

"What?" Akira says, and Ann and Ryuji exchange looks. "That's a first. What happened?"

" _I'm not aware_ ," Goro says. " _It sounds rather disastrous, though. It worries me greatly_."

Akira blinks. He sounds _really_ off. "...Are you okay?"

" _How do you mean?"_ Goro pauses, then he clears his throat. It's quiet for a few seconds. " _Uh, sorry. I think I caught something odd_."

"You gonna get sick?"

" _No, I don't think so. Just...something really odd_." A pause. " _Does Boss impose some sort of curfew or anything? I'm really not sure when I'll be home, and I'd hate to anger him when we just met today_."

"Well, no," Akira says, "but he'll definitely say something if you're out too late. Should we pick you up? I'm sure he won't mind if you're stuck there. He got a car and all."

" _No, that's fine. It's only 4:30_ ," Goro says, " _maybe if this drags on for too long, I'll call, but I'd like it if you inform Boss anyway, just in case_."

"Sure, no problem," Akira replies. "See you later."

" _Okay._ "

"Don't get mugged and stuff."

Goro's laugh in the other end is light hearted and soft. Akira hangs up, and when he looks up, Ann is grinning excitedly at him.

"Was that Akechi-kun?" she asks, and Akira raises a brow at her. "You're smiling," she points out, and Akira runs a hand down his face, smoothing his face over.

"...Yeah," Akira replies, "he says something happened with the trains, so he'll be home late." He pauses, realising something, and he looks at both Ann and Ryuji. "Wait, how are you two gonna go home, then?"

Ryuji's eyes go wide at him the same time Ann loudly gasps. "Are you shitting me?" Ryuji asks as Ann takes out her phone from her pocket. Ryuji sits beside her as she goes through her phone, and they both groan at what they read.

"Train derailment," Ann mutters, "they have to close one line, and everything else gets moved an hour later. This sucks."

"Everything will be back to normal tomorrow morning, though," Ryuji says. "And no one got seriously hurt. Guess that's somethin'."

Akira's phone rings again. "Hey."

" _Sorry,_ " Goro says in the other end, " _I need to be picked up. The line that's been closed down is the one I take to Shibuya_."

"Okay," Akira says, and he smirks. "I'll take a bath just for you."

" _You're gross_."

\--

"I don't want to be rude," Sojiro says as he overtakes a car ahead of them, "but I don't think I trust your friends with my shop."

"They're not gonna steal the beans if that's you're worried about," Akira says, fingers twisting the ends of his fringe. His hair has gotten longer the past couple of months, his fringe almost like a curtain now that covers his eyes, really. He needs to have it cut before the start of class. Maybe he can ask Goro for a trim...

Sojiro sighs. "Now that's something to worry about."

Akira looks up at Sojiro, and he smiles. "If something goes missing, I'll pay for it."

"Mhm," Sojiro says, though he doesn't look convinced. He doesn’t have money, that’s true. "Pretty sure they're just looking for a reason to stay and meet Akechi."

Akira breathes out a laugh at that as he leans into the passenger seat. "They are."

They arrive at the station to Kosei far later than anticipated. As the station slowly comes to view, Akira immediately spots Goro standing under a streetlight, watching the traffic go by. He's holding a cloth bag most likely filled with Kosei goodies, and he's wearing a cap that has Kosei's emblem stitched in front.

He looks silly.

The car stops in front of Goro, and Akira is wearing a smirk when he rolls down his window.

"Hey, hot stuff," Akira says with a wink. He can practically hear Sojiro rolling his eyes at him. "Looking for a ride?"

Goro gives him a flat look before getting into the backseat.

"You need to work on your lines if you want any of them to work," Sojiro says as they drive away from the station, sounding just as unimpressed as Goro did when he looked at him. Akira laughs.

"Nah, they're working just fine." He twists in his seat to look at Goro. "Right?"

Goro just took off his cap, and he has a mild case of hat hair. He frowns at Akira. "No."

"Ouch," Akira feints hurt. "That was quick. No take backs?"

Goro makes a show of pondering over it. He leans back, crossing his arms, and he completes it with a small frown. Then he smiles, and Akira's brows raise.

"Lies come to me fairly quickly," Goro says, leaning forward, and---that one’s true. He’s a force to be reckoned with when lying. His smile turns to a knowing smirk as puts a hand against the headrest of Akira’s seat. "How about you wrench the truth from my lips, hm?"

Akira opens his mouth, eyes trailing down Goro's face to his lips, then he closes his mouth and turns to look at the road instead.

Goro's laughter rings in his ears.

Sojiro sighs, one hand on the wheel as the other goes to lift his glasses so he can pinch the bridge of his nose.

"I can tell I'm going to have to deal with this every single day. For three years," he comments dryly, "still, he got you good."

Akira blinks at the stop light that just turns red.

Shit, he's right.

\--

Leblanc is dark when they come back. No lights are on, and there's no sign of Ann and Ryuji in the café. It should be something to worry about, especially since neither of them texted Akira that they're leaving, but Sojiro takes one look at the café and says "I'm going home," like he knows something neither Akira nor Goro knows.

Goro stands behind Akira as he fumbles with his key to stick into the doorknob. It's quiet for a moment, and then Goro says, "I just noticed: I think you need a haircut."

"Oh?" Akira manages to stick his key into the doorknob, and he turns the key to unlock the door. "I was just thinking about that, actually. But the one who really needs a haircut is---"

" _Don't_ ," Goro warns, "my hair is fine the way it is, thank you very much."

Akira is laughing as he pushes the door open, and he turns on the lights. The café is empty, and nothing seems to be missing. It looks like Akira still doesn’t have to work his ass off to pay Sojiro for missing beans.

"Huh," Goro muses behind him as he closes the door. "Didn't you say your friends are here?"

"Supposedly," Akira says, "maybe they already left. I don't know." He waves a hand towards the stairs as he goes behind the counter and takes an apron. "Anyway, I'll get our dinner ready. You can go get changed."

Goro stops in front of the counter and stares at him. "Who are you and what did you do to Akira?"

"You don't have to be such a _dick_ ," Akira retorts, but he's smiling. "This is the last time I'm making you dinner."

"No, it's not," Goro replies, "you'll keep making me dinner, because you love me so much."

"Oh, wow," Akira says, voice flat. "You got me." He opens the fridge and takes out a tupperware. "Then again, I'm just gonna heat this up in the microwave. The apron is just for show."

Goro laughs, and he leaves Akira to head upstairs. Footsteps resound in the café as Akira puts the tupperware into the microwave and turns it on, then he hears something popping, then yelling, then _many_ footsteps, and Akira realises his friends are still here---except they're waiting for him and Goro upstairs, and they probably have party poppers.

Akira sighs.

When he gets up in the attic, he finds that Goro is sitting on his own bed with Ann offering him chocolate from Akira's jar. Ryuji sits on Akira's bed, telling Ann to _lay off the dude, dammit, Takamaki!_ Discarded party poppers and confetti litter the floor. Goro is covered with confetti, too, actually, and he looks very, very confused.

"You guys could've just told me you wanted to throw a party for him," Akira says, and everyone turns to look at him.

Ryuji is the first to speak. "Aw, no, man. There wasn't any plans!" He jabs a finger at Ann, and she makes an offended gasp and swats his hand away. " _She_ thought it would be great to get party poppers after you an' Boss left to make him feel _very welcomed_." Ryuji makes air quotes at the last two words and looks at Goro, who still looks at a loss, then back at Akira. "He doesn't look very welcomed to me."

"I was just trying to show that we're enthusiastic about meeting him," Ann argues back. "A friend of Akira’s is a friend of ours, too!"

"Yeah, no, you spooked the hell outta him is what you did."

"And it's why---"

"...Everyone," Goro says, very slowly, and now all eyes are on him. He lifts a hand to pull a long blue string from his hair. "I have to agree the party popper is a bit too much." Ryuji snorts loudly at that, looking at Ann in a way that says _I told you so_. "I appreciate the thought, really, I do, but I still don't know your names."

There's a brief pause, then Ryuji and Ann start talking over each other, and Akira buries his face in his hands for a brief second before cutting in. "Okay, _children_ ," he says as he drops his hands to his sides, "stop bickering. Dinner is curry."

Surprisingly, dinner goes rather uneventfully. The four of them sit in the booth closest to the stairs, and most of dinner is spent with Akira scolding the two blonds while Goro quietly eats his dinner. There's a hint of a smile in the brunet's face, though, and it's not lost on Akira.

By the time Ryuji and Ann remember to go home, having spent after-dinner getting to know Goro, it's already past nine.

"Aw, shit," Ryuji says, standing up and fishing out his phone from his pocket. "The trains were back in operation one hour ago! Ma's gonna be worried." He waves a hand at the trio as he slips out of the booth. "I gotta go. See ya."

Ann blinks. "Hey, wait, I'm going home, too!" she calls out as she gets off the booth as well. She shoots Akira and Goro a smile as she waves. "Thanks for having us!"

She manages a few steps before stopping, and she turns around at the pair again. "It's so nice to finally meet you, Goro!" she chirps. "You gotta know, Akira _loves_ talking about you."

Akira's eyes widen at her. Talk about _betrayal_. " _Takamaki_ \---" Akira practically shoots up from his seat, but she's already hurrying to Ryuji, who's been standing by the door waiting for her, and then the door shuts closed, the bell chiming softly. It's quiet for a few seconds.

Goro sighs. "Those are your friends," he simply says, and Akira looks at him. He smiles sheepishly.

"Too much?"

"I feel like my life is shortened by ten years, but I’m fine with that." Akira laughs, and he reaches over to clean up the table, but Goro stops him, fingers curled around his wrist. "My turn," he says, and Akira shakes his head.

"Let me. I'm gonna ask you a favour, anyway."

Goro raises a brow at that, but he lets go and moves to leave the booth. "What favour?"

"Cut my hair?" Akira replies as he piles the plates on top of the other. "I was thinking about it, then you pointed it out. Might as well get it over with, right?"

Goro hums at that, leaning against the counter with his arms crossed. His chestnut hair falls over his eyes as he looks down, one hand under his chin as he thinks, like this is something to think hard about. The café's lights are soft against him, refining his edges, making him softer and unguarded somehow, and _he is_ , actually---Akira knows there's something in their hometown that makes him so stiff and closed off, but here he's relaxed, his expressions clear as day, and Akira realises he's the only one who is aware of this and can revel in those expressions.

"I don't cut hair," Goro finally says.

Akira shrugs, and he brings the dirty dishes to the sink to wash. "You trim your own hair," he simply says as he runs the water. "I mean, I don't need a new hairstyle or anything, so I thought it's not going to be a big deal."

"I suppose it isn't," Goro replies with a nod, and he pushes himself off the counter to head upstairs. "Okay, I'll get things ready, then. Don't blame me if it doesn't turn out to your liking."

"It's just a _trim_ ," Akira replies, but Goro has already disappeared upstairs, and Akira simply redirects his attention to the dishes he's washing.

When he gets to the attic, he finds Goro sitting on his bed, a towel folded neatly beside him, and on top of it is a pair of school scissors. In the middle of the room is a stool that Goro got _somewhere_ ; Akira doesn't know where. He looks up at Akira, and his smile is sheepish.

"We'll just have to make do with the scissors we have," he says, and Akira chuckles.

"At least it's not the plastic kind."

Soon enough, Akira is sitting on the stool, Goro standing behind him and running his fingers through his hair. Goro hums thoughtfully.

"It's longer than I thought."

"Right? I want to get rid of the length before school starts for real."

"Hm." Goro lightly tugs at his hair, then Akira hears the familiar sound of scissors cutting. _Snip._ "So you like talking about me?"

Akira can hear the smile in his voice. He really doesn’t know what to say to that, so he goes with the usual. "What, you don't like talking about me?" is what Akira tells him. He knows that Goro knows he’s avoiding the question. Goro pauses, and then he gently pushes Akira's head downwards, just slightly. The cutting sound returns. _Snip_.

"There isn't a lot of people for me to talk to about you," Goro replies, "but if I get the chance? Definitely."

Akira purses his lips for a moment, tries not to make his smile _too_ wide. "Now, you're just trying to flatter me."

A chuckle. "No, not at all."

Goro works methodically, and Akira doesn't have to see it to know how he's doing it: he'll lightly tug at the end of Akira's hair, then he'll cut. Tug, then cut; tug, then cut. Sometimes, he'll run his hand through Akira's hair to get rid of the cut hair, and he'll feel Goro's fingers against his nape, lingering for a second before returning to the pattern he's been doing.

_Snip._

"There's someone I met in the train station," Goro tells him. Akira can feel the cold blade of the scissors against the shell of his ear as Goro cuts away the hair that's starting to cover it. _Snip._ "A student in Kosei, too. He's a bit odd, but he's kind. We had lunch together."

Akira smiles at that. "Yeah?" He pauses, realising something, and he would have thrown his head back and snorted if it weren't for Goro's hands keeping him still. "Let me guess, he talks weird."

Goro pauses. "How did you know?"

"I talked to you on the phone today, remember?"

Goro mutters something to himself before resuming his work. "Fair enough. Well, his name is Kitagawa Yusuke. I'm thinking of inviting him here some time. What do you think?"

"I don't know why you're asking me when my friends come here whenever they want," Akira says, "but if you really want my opinion, I don't see the harm in inviting him. Go ahead; Boss will be happy you brought in a customer."

Goro chuckles, and he runs his fingers through Akira's hair again. "He'd be happy about a potential regular, huh?" He tucks Akira's hair behind his ears. "There we go," he says, and he moves in front of Akira. "Now let's cut that fringe."

"Don't poke my eyes out," Akira jokes, and Goro rolls his eyes and squats a little so he's at Akira's level.

He takes Akira's fringe with two fingers, sliding down until they stop an inch from the tip. Goro brings up the scissors and cuts.

_Snip._

Goro is staring too hard, too focused at the task at hand, and maybe Akira should make fun of him for it, the way his brows furrow and the corners of his lips quirk down slightly. Akira thinks of putting his hands on the sides of Goro's head to run his thumb over the creases on his face while saying _you're too serious_ , accompanied with a laugh.

_Snip._

Goro is looking at him, but not really. The colour of his eyes look like rust, Goro said once, and Akira replied _not really_. Rust implies neglect, and Goro is far from neglected. Besides, his eyes are more red than brown, and under the right lighting, they're like wine. His eyes are like that right now: the colour of red wine, and just as intoxicating.

_Snip._

Akira knows he's in deep shit. He's been aware of that fact for a while now. It doesn't stop him from digging his grave deeper.

_Snip._

Truthfully, he thinks everything's fine.

"There," Goro finally says, his free hand brushing the cut strands of hair from Akira's face. Akira feels a prick in one of his eyes, and he blinks. "I think you look fine," he says as he takes the towel off Akira's shoulders. Hair flutters down the floor and around Akira's feet. "No need to put on a hat when leaving in broad daylight."

Akira twists his fringe between his fingers. It's shorter now, duh, and he can't pull at it like he used to. He digs into his pocket for his phone, and he opens the front camera and looks at himself from there.

Well, he still looks the same, nothing to note here.

"My hair is shorter and I look more like I have my life together," Akira flatly says. "I think my charm has increased." Goro laughs.

"What are you, in a video game?" he says with a smile. "I'll get the broom and sweep the floor."

Before Goro can take a step towards the stairs, though, Akira speaks up.

"Thanks for the trim," he says, and Goro tilts his head at him. He's still smiling, and it's fond, and that's---that's really bad.

"Of course," he says. "You know, when it really matters, I can't say no to you."

Then Goro disappears downstairs. It's quiet for a moment, then Akira gets off the stool and heavily drops into his bed, scrubbing his face with his hands.

This is going to be a long three years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *everything is on fire* *akira voice* everything is fine.
> 
> what happened to the mutual pining tag? i don't know. it's still there


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> they find cats. that’s it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAY i wanted to update this alongside daybreakers but...like...school just started again and it's kicking my butt SO...i guess this is how it goes. daybreakers will be up in a couple of days. maybe.
> 
> also, if you've read this [fic](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11359620), then i guess y'all know by now how much i love the idea of goro with furball. i love them so much. thanks
> 
> also, actually, i don't really like this chapter a lot. probably because it's a lot shorter than what i'm used to write. idk just have it lol

“I’m surprised,” Yusuke says, eyes glued on his boxed lunch as he unwraps the cloth around it, “and deeply humbled that you decided to spend lunch with me again after I took up all your free time during the freshman orientation last week.”

Goro smiles at that, and he takes a bite from his yakisoba bread, carefully chewing as his eyes sweep across the green field. It’s filled with students taking advantage of the fair weather, some having lunch on the grass like him and Yusuke and some simply enjoying the open field and playing ball. There’s barely any clouds in the sky, but the sun’s light isn’t harsh. The wind smells of freshly cut grass, and the chirping of insects and birds isn’t lost to him. Akira likes the outdoors, unlike him. Goro doesn’t know what Shujin looks like, but he has a good feeling Akira will like it more here.

“Don’t make it such a big deal,” Goro tells Yusuke, “besides, I enjoy your company.”

“Hm,” Yusuke says, “I suppose neither of us enjoy the company of our classmates.”

Yikes. “Well,” Goro says, “I wouldn’t say I dislike them. I think they’re…” He pauses. He thinks about the girls crowding his desk and the guys talking about things he can only hope to understand, and he sighs. He feels a part of his soul leave his body there. “They’re a bit too overwhelming for me.”

It’s not a lie; his classmates are far too much for Goro to handle, but even then, Goro thinks his first day of classes went far better than expected. There wasn’t any room for icebreakers during freshman orientation, but now that there is, well, everyone in his class made sure to not let it go to waste.

In short, they were really,  _ really _ friendly. 

They were surprised that Goro is a year older than them, but their curiosity was genuine, at least; a simple  _ it’s because I started attending school a year later than I was supposed to _ satisfied them. It isn’t as if it’s a lie to begin with, anyway.

Back in his hometown, Goro didn’t have to explain it away like that. Everyone knew why he had been a year behind from all kids his age, and he’s used to their incriminating stares. Here, in Kosei, there’s nothing of the sort. 

Goro nods to himself. “I don’t mind them that much,” he finishes.

Yusuke doesn’t say anything else and simply nods, and with a hum, he finally opens his boxed lunch, and Goro leans over a little to see what he has packed. He blinks, then frowns. “Really? Fried noodles and rice?”

Yusuke chuckles. “They say eating noodles will lead to a longer life.”

That could explain why he has tons of noodles in his dorm, and also probably why he’s rather...slim, to say the least. Goro sighs. “That’s not true, Yusuke.”

Yusuke opens his mouth to say something, but then he blinks and looks up ahead. Goro follows his gaze, and they both watch as a ball comes sailing above their heads and drops into the bushes behind them. A student a distance away waves his hands frantically at them, and, okay, Goro supposes someone has to get the ball.

He waves his hand at the student once, and he gives Yusuke his bread before standing up.

Yusuke seems confused by the bread in his hands. “Am I to eat this?” he asks, and Goro rolls his eyes.

“No,” he says, “I’ll pick up their ball. Hold it for me.”

Looking for a white ball in a sea of green is, apparently, harder than he thought, especially when the bushes are itchy and---ah, he cut his hand. What the hell. Goro weaves through the bushes no problem, though, pushing aside branches to get where the ball landed, and when he does, pushing aside more leaves and branches so he can pick up the ball, he finds something unexpected curled up around it. It’s small and furry, and Goro blinks at it.

Wide, unsettling yellow eyes stare up at him.

“Meow?”

\--

The chime of the bell in Leblanc is something Goro is already overly familiar with, but this time, he can’t help but wince a little at the sound. Leblanc is empty, as usual, and the only thing filling the silence is the murmur of the T.V. It doesn’t look like Akira is home yet, and Goro feels the first sign of panic settling  _ nicely _ into his being.

Still, Goro has to keep his cool. He’s good at that.

“Boss, I’m home,” Goro calls out as the door to Leblanc creaks closed, and he forces a smile when Sojiro looks at him from behind the counter.

Sojiro stares at him for a second, brows creasing a little, and Goro is already fearing Sojiro somehow managed to uncover his crime when he shrugs. “Welcome back,” he nonchalantly says, “you brought a friend?”

Oh. “Yes,” Goro answers immediately. “Yes, I did.” He steps aside and gestures at Yusuke, who’s been standing quietly behind him. “This is Kitagawa Yusuke. I met him when I was on the way to school last week.”

“Hello,” Yusuke says with a small smile, and he bows politely. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Goro has told me about your hospitality.” He pauses, as if remembering something. “Ah, and your curry.”

That one is completely deliberate on Yusuke’s part. Sojiro smirks.

“Well, someone’s a flatterer,” Sojiro says. “Well, if he’s told you about me already, I suppose an introduction isn’t needed, then. Since you’re Goro’s friend, your first curry’s on the house.” Goro can already tell how pleased Yusuke is about that. Sojiro gestures his hand towards the stairs. “Now go upstairs. You kids are in the way of business.”

Goro gives him another smile, then he grabs Yusuke’s wrist and drags him upstairs. As soon as their feet touch the floor of the attic, Goro immediately puts down his bag on the long table and unzips it, and the head of a kitten pops out, opening her mouth and---

Goro immediately puts a finger between her teeth. “Shh, shh,” he mutters, “Boss is going to hear you.”

“I’m afraid he’s bound to find out sooner or later,” Yusuke says, walking into the centre of the room. He looks around the attic. “You live above his workplace.” A pause. “Hm, this room needs more work.”

Goro pointedly ignores Yusuke’s remark about Akira’s work, and instead he wiggles his finger that’s caught between the kitten’s teeth. The kitten seems content nibbling on Goro’s finger, and he sighs before looking up at his friend. “I was hoping Akira would be home to help me figure out what to do.”

“Akira?” Yusuke repeats. “Ah. Your roommate.” He looks around again. “He doesn’t seem home.”

“It’s because he’s not,” Goro grumbles, and he pulls out his phone from his pocket with his free hand. As it turns out, he already has messages from Akira, all left unread because he was still on his way home then.

♡★ Aki-chan  ★♡  | 17:43 :: hey

♡★ Aki-chan  ★♡  | 17:43 :: i found something

♡★ Aki-chan  ★♡  | 17:44 :: i love it

♡★ Aki-chan  ★♡  | 17:44 :: you’re gonna love it

You | 18:26 :: I suppose I should say the same thing, but I’m not sure what to do.

You | 18:27 :: Where are you? I need you to help me figure this out.

♡★ Aki-chan  ★♡  | 18:27 :: is it something illegal??? lol

♡★ Aki-chan  ★♡  | 18:27 :: i just got off the train

♡★ Aki-chan  ★♡  | 18:27 :: omw

You | 18:28 :: It’s not >:(

Goro puts down his phone face first, and he picks up the kitten from the table. “He said he’s on his way home,” Goro tells Yusuke, cradling the kitten in his arms. She makes a small, pleased mewl, not loud enough to be heard downstairs, thankfully. “For the meantime, why don’t you sit on my bed? It’s that one.” He tilts his head to his bed’s direction. “We don’t really have chairs around here. You can have some chocolates from the jar, too. I don’t mind.”

Yusuke looks at the jar of chocolate sitting on Goro’s side of the desk. Without another word, he reaches out to the jar and picks it up. He shakes the jar once, then he sits down at the edge of Goro’s bed. 

“Thank you,” Yusuke says as Goro goes to sit beside him, the kitten still happily nibbling on Goro’s finger. He pops the lid open. “Chocolate is always lovely.”

The next few minutes is spent in silence, with Yusuke eating chocolate and Goro playing with the kitten. If Goro has to be honest, he doesn’t know why he felt compelled to pick up the kitten back there. She’s not even cute---her fur is an odd mix of wispy grey and muddy orange, and she has unsettling yellow eyes. She hurt her leg, probably when the ball fell into the bushes, but even then, she’s still so lively, and Goro doesn’t really know how to deal with that. 

The way she insisted on following him after he took the ball is a big factor on his decision to take her, though. There’s no way Goro could ignore her when she limped after him and purred like a stubborn little---

“Would you like a bite?” Yusuke asks, and Goro looks up at him. He opened another chocolate bar, a third one, by the looks of it. He waves the bar in front of Goro as if in offering. “I feel ashamed to have a third bar when you haven’t even taken a bite.”

Right; he thought of that after stuffing his face with two chocolate bars. Goro snorts at that, feels the kitten pawing against his hand, but before he can decline Yusuke’s offer, he hears the bell chime joyfully downstairs. It’s immediately followed with a familiar voice greeting Sojiro, then footsteps pound against the stairs, and Akira finally shows himself in the attic.

“Goro!” Akira says. He’s already pulling his bag off his shoulder, and it looks like that bag is pretty stuffed. “Look what’s in my---” He stops, his fingers hooked around his bag’s strap, and he eyes the kitten in Goro’s lap before shifting his gaze to Yusuke, who is still holding his chocolate out to Goro. Yusuke tilts his head at Akira.

“Hello,” Yusuke says, “please forgive my intrusion into your home. Your roommate invited me over. I’m Kitagawa Yusuke.” He waves his chocolate bar towards the kitten. “We brought a kitten home.”

Akira stares at Yusuke for a brief second, then he snorts, startling Goro and Yusuke, and he’s grinning at Yusuke when he says, “I see.”

“You see what?” Yusuke asks.

“I’m Kurusu Akira,” Akira says instead, “I heard about you from Goro, and, honestly, you’re actually not what I imagined you to be,” he says with a laugh. “But I mean that in a good way! Nice to meet you and all that, but more importantly---” He bounds towards Goro, grey eyes sparkling at the little kitten in Goro’s hands. He already took his bag off his shoulder and is now cradling it. “Are you serious? A kitten?”

Goro is glad Akira seems to like Yusuke, but he frowns anyway at his remark about the kitten, feeling oddly defensive.

“What?” he says, and he cuddles the kitten closer to his chest without realising it. Akira’s smile grows remarkably  _ wider _ . “What?” Goro says again, “she broke her leg, and she kept limping towards me, so I thought---”

“No, no,” Akira says, obviously amused for some reason. He makes Goro make space for him so he can sit on the bed, and he puts his bag on his lap. “Look at this,” Akira says. Only then does Goro notice his bag is partly open, and Akira unzips it completely. “This little guy followed me from Shujin to the train station,” he explains as something shifts inside the bag, then a black cat’s head pops out, blue eyes wide at them both.

Akira  _ also _ brought home a cat.

The cat opens his mouth, and neither Akira nor Goro can stop him when he makes the  _ loudest _ meow possible. The sound echoes throughout the attic, and both boys are frozen as the cat leaps out of Akira’s bag and lands on the floor with a quiet thud.

The kitten stops nibbling on Goro’s fingers, and she, too, meows, the high pitched sound ringing in Goro’s ears. The cat looks at her and meows back, and then they’re meowing back and forth, as if talking shit about the two boys that picked them up without asking for their permission.

“Well, then,” Yusuke says, closing the lid of the chocolate jar, “the cat’s out of the bag.”

All three of them hear Sojiro yell downstairs--- _ are those _ cats  _ I’m hearing?! _ \---and Akira looks at Goro.

Goro knows that Akira knows they’re in trouble, but the twinkle in his eyes and his smirk tell Goro it doesn’t matter at all. It’s the kind of look that always makes Goro nervous, but for all the  _ wrong _ reasons. He can’t say he finds it annoying, though.

Akira picks up the cat and puts him on his lap. “We’re in for a boss battle,” he says with an amused smirk. Does Akira know his dimple is most prominent when he does that?

Still, Goro frowns at him, and he pretends that the footsteps coming upstairs don’t freak him out at all. “Akira, we’re  _ not _ in a video game.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter: two boys learn how to be cat parents :') it's gonna be messy and everyone's gonna be So Proud

**Author's Note:**

> please help a writer and support his [gorofication](). check out his twitter @clearestrod for more details. thank you


End file.
